Page:String Figures and How to Make Them.djvu/287

TALLOW DIPS

Dr. Haddon taught me this game. It is well known in Great Britain; and the Rev. John Gray (p. 117, figs. 1, 2 and 3) has published a description of it as

played by the children of the Cowgate in Edinburgh. He gives the different movements of the figure as separate figures, namely, "The Bunch of Candles," "The Chair," "The Pair of Trousers," "The Crown." In Ireland "The Bunch of Candies" is sometimes called "The Broom." Miss Margaret A. Hingston (p. 147) gives the story which was current in Somerset about forty years ago; the "tipstaff" is here called the "truncheon."

First: The first movement of the "Apache Teepee." The two strings now hang down from the left hand over the palmar string (Fig. 564).

Second: With the right thumb and index pick up the string on the left palm, between the hanging strings, pull it out slightly (Fig. 565), and put it over the left middle and ring fingers (Fig. 566). There is now a ring around the left index, a ring around the left little finger, and a loop hanging down on the palm (Fig. 567).

Third: Put the right index from above into the ring on the left index; and put the right middle finger from above into the ring on the left little finger, and draw the rings out to the right (Fig. 568) as far as possible. Fourth: Bend the fingers of the left hand down on the palm as follows: The left middle finger down into the left index loop, the left ring finger down into the